When I commission a guitar the first thing I do is determine how I'm planning on using it and what I'd like to hear from it. Is it replacing a guitar that I tend to use for certain styles of music and styles of playing, or is it a guitar that is filling a 'void' for a certain style/tone? I also define how I will be holding the guitar, and where I'll be playing it. Based on these decisions I try to define the aspects of tone and playability that will contribute to what I want.
The "must have" features that I want on every commission would be:
Responsive enough for fingerstyle playing without picks.
Spacing at nut and saddle, along with fretboard radius/width and neck contour, that works for my fingerstyle playing.
Sound port.
An aesthetic that interests me and gives me something to appreciate each time I pick up the guitar.
A guitar that does not compromise in what I want for tone, playability, and aesthetic.
A guitar that provides a good value, however I'm defining that at the time.
A builder I'm comfortable with and whom I respect for their knowledge, skill, and method of doing business.
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Chuck
2012 Carruth 12-fret 000 in Pernambuco and Adi
2010 Poling Sierra in Cuban Mahogany and Lutz
2015 Posch 13-fret 00 in Indian Rosewood and Adi
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